Katie B’s. Art of Persuasion

Muckelbauer Summary

            In starting to read Muckelbauer’s piece of writing I started to wonder if he was imitating someone else’s writing or was he explaining what other scholars think what imitation is? As I continued to read I noticed that this is what he thought imitation is.

            Muckelbauer first mentions what Richard Mckeon take on imitation is using a quote from what he has said, “Vague, inadequate, primitive, and its use involves a play on words when it does not lead to self-contradiction.” What both Muckelbauer and Mckeon are saying is that imitation is different in different times of history. Imitation back in the day is different from the imitation that we today. Later on in the reading Muckelbauer says that students are taught to examine all different type of writers and to imitate all of them, so they (students) are not just stuck on one type of imitation.

            Teachers and scholars that focus on “Stylistic, moral or process imitations are uninterested in invention and novelty.” I think that this is very true, teachers who allow their students to just imitate one author is like only allowing a child to one type of food. They are not able to explore what other type of styles (tastes) are out there and if that is done they are unable to make the connection between two different scholars (food).

            Rhetoric’s on imitation; is a very important topic. Not only because many teachers want to see what their students can do when they imitate but it also bring up many focus point s for class discussions. Students are exposed to many types of models and what their (the student’s) job is to take that piece of writing and imitate it to the way that they would understand what is being said/discussed. Muckelbauer uses many examples of scholars and what they have to say about imitation and how students can value from imitating different scholars.